MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
Dorie Turner Nolt, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 656-5594, dnolt@gadoe.org
January 9, 2013 — The College Board has selected 31 Georgia high schools to apply for funding for the new AP® STEM Access program – created to increase the number of minority and female high school students who participate in Advanced Placement Program® courses in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this many Georgia high schools selected to expand access to Advanced Placement courses,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “Advanced Placement courses offer the rigor and relevance we need to ensure students are ready for whatever they choose to do after high school. Having more access for our students to take courses in the STEM fields will help us meet students’ needs and the expectations of colleges and employers. I encourage all of these schools to apply so more students have this access.”
The Georgia public schools that qualify for this program were chosen because they have historically had a population of underrepresented students who were academically prepared for an AP STEM course that is not offered by the school. They are part of more than 800 public schools from across the country being invited to apply for the AP® STEM Access program thanks to a $5 million grant from Google as part of the company’s Global Impact Awards to DonorsChoose.org. The program aims to encourage traditionally underrepresented minority (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native) and female students who demonstrate strong academic potential to enroll and explore these areas of study and related careers.
Research shows that students who took AP math and science were more likely than non-AP students to earn degrees in physical science, engineering and life science disciplines — the fields leading to some of the careers essential for America’s future prosperity. This correlation is particularly strong among African American, Hispanic/Latino and female students.
Participating schools will start the new AP math and science courses in fall 2013 and will make a commitment to offer these new AP courses for a minimum of three years. This will enable the courses to become an integral part of the overall array of AP course offerings within the school.
The 31 Georgia schools that can apply for this money are:
· Henry W Grady High School/Atlanta Public Schools
· Richmond Hill High School/Bryan County
· Creekview High School/Cherokee County
· Etowah High School/Cherokee County
· River Ridge High School/Cherokee County
· Sequoyah High School/Cherokee County
· Woodstock High School/Cherokee County
· Clarke Central High School/Clarke County
· Alan C Pope High School/Cobb County
· Campbell High School/Cobb County
· Lassiter High School/Cobb County
· Greenbrier High School/Columbia County
· Northgate High School/Coweta County
· Decatur High School/Decatur City
· Douglas County High School/Douglas County
· McIntosh High School/Fayette County
· Starr's Mill High School/Fayette County
· Whitewater High School/Fayette County
· West Forsyth High School/Forsyth County
· North Springs High School/Fulton County
· Riverwood International Charter School/Fulton County
· Westlake High School/Fulton County
· Berkmar High School/Gwinnett County
· Duluth High School/Gwinnett County
· Gwinnett School of Mathematics Science and Technology/Gwinnett County
· Mill Creek High School/Gwinnett County
· Mountain View High School/Gwinnett County
· Shiloh High School/Gwinnett County
· Oconee County High School/Oconee County
· Rockdale County High School/Rockdale County
· Savannah Arts Academy/Chatham County
About the Advanced Placement Program®
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies — with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both — while still in high school. Through AP courses in 34 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue — skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students. Each AP teacher’s syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores — more than 3,600 institutions worldwide annually receive AP scores. In the last decade, participation in the AP Program has more than doubled and graduates succeeding on AP Exams have nearly doubled. In May 2012, 2.1 million students representing more than 18,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took 3.7 million AP Exams.
